By February 2009, a Suicide Squad film was in development at Warner Bros. Ayer signed on to write and direct in September 2014, and by October, the casting process had begun. Principal photography began on April 13, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario with additional filming in Chicago, Illinois, and ended in August that year.

Suicide Squad premiered in New York City on August 1, 2016, and was released in the United States on August 5, 2016, in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D. Following a strong debut that set new box office records, the film grossed over $745 million worldwide, making it the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2016. It received generally negative reviews from critics, who criticized the plot, directing and characters, though Robbie’s performance received praise. The film was nominated for and won multiple awards across various categories, including hair and make-up, acting, and music.